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The Prince George's County Republican Central Committee Celebrates Black History Month with Local Hero and Civil Rights Activist Sylvester Vaughns Sr.
Did You Know
Sylvester Vaughns Sr., was an African-American, Republican, and longtime resident of Palmer Park, Maryland.
In 1971, Vaughns filed a discrimination lawsuit against Prince George’s County Board of Education - Vaughns v. BOARD EDUCATION, PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY. This resulted in Prince George’s County becoming the only school district in the state of Maryland to be Federally Court Ordered to develop a desegregation plan using busing. He was quoted as saying “the fact is we are doing busing to make things better. That's what government is supposed to do.”
In 1978, as NAACP President for Prince George’s County Chapter, Vaughns lead a 200 people march in Upper Marlboro Md., to protest police brutality by county officers following two different shooting incidents of unarmed black youths by white officers.
In 1996, as administrative assistant with the Prince George's County commission for animal control, he testified against the breed-specific legislation. He said "[t]he current ordinances in the county are sufficient.” The county’s code requires people to keep their dogs and cats leashed when off their property.
Sylvester Vaughns had been a Republican since he first registered to vote in North Carolina, believing it was the party of change for all people; the party of Frederick Douglas and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.